


View from the Outside

by SugdenLovesDingle



Series: 7 Days of Robron 2018 [6]
Category: Emmerdale
Genre: Family Fluff, Light Angst, M/M, POV Outsider
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-12
Updated: 2018-08-12
Packaged: 2019-06-26 08:14:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,056
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15659286
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SugdenLovesDingle/pseuds/SugdenLovesDingle
Summary: 7 days of RobronDay 6: Robron + another character of your choice + “How do we keep getting into these situations?”Robron through PC Swirling's eyes





	View from the Outside

**Author's Note:**

> this is a little crazy and something i've joked about for a long time... but I eventually decided to write it

“Like I said at the station, if you want a calm and easy job, Emmerdale is not it.” PC Swirling said as he drove past the all too familiar sign urging people to drive carefully through the village.

“Looks alright to me. I came from central London, we would have had a stabbing or a robbery by now.”

Swirling sighed and wished his boss hadn’t assigned him the newbie to train. The kid was in for a big surprise.

“I mean, look at that. There’s a guy jogging and two women talking outside the pub. Hardly crime central.”

“The jogger is Aaron Dingle, the women Chas and Charity Dingle. They own the pub. Chas is Aaron’s mother.” Swirling explained. “Take it from me, you want to stay well away from anyone and everyone named Dingle in this village.”

“Why? Are they the mobster family of Yorkshire? The Shelbys of the dales?” the kid laughed

“I’ve had to arrest almost every member of that family at least twice.” Swirling deadpanned. “And Charity Dingle is involved in the Bails case. You’ve heard of that, haven’t you?”

The kid nodded.

“Charity is the one accusing him.”

“Right. Yes. I’ve heard of that case. But still, everyone has a few skeletons in their closet don’t they?”

“The Dingles have more than a few.” Swirling said and parked the car. “You’ll discover that sooner or later. Probably sooner.”

“I’m sure it’s not that bad.”

“Famous last words.” Swirling muttered as he entered the café and ordered them both a coffee. If he had to train this guy, he was going to make it as easy on himself as possible.

A few minutes later Aaron walked in and ordered two coffees and two doughnuts. Swirling had a pretty good idea who those were meant for and he was proved right when Robert Sugden walked in with a baby in his arms.

“You been here long?” He asked after kissing Aaron hello and handing him the baby.

“No just got here. How did your meeting go? Did you help your daddy, Sebby?” Aaron said, directing the last part at the baby in his lap.

“It went alright. But they wanted me to sign on the spot because that’s apparently what mister Tate said to do. I told them I’m not signing anything I haven’t read. I’ve learnt my lesson with that.”

“So what now?” Aaron asked and Robert shrugged while taking a bite from his doughnut.

“They’ll probably call Joe to complain. Hopefully he’ll fire me and I can start my own business. There are some clients who’d go with me if I left Home James.”

“Just don’t rush into anything, yeah? The scrapyard doesn’t bring in that much and this one is growing out of all of his clothes.” Aaron said, and tickled the baby in his lap, who shrieked with happiness. “And make sure it’s all above board yeah?” He tilted his head in Swirling’s direction.

Robert clearly hadn’t noticed them yet because when he followed Aaron’s movement he suddenly sat up straighter and busied himself blowing on his coffee to cool it down.

Swirling sighed and debated whether he should say anything or not.

“Don’t worry,” the kid spoke up instead. “We’re not investigating anything. I’m PC Mark Fletcher, I’m new to the department and I’m shadowing PC Swirling for the time being to get to know the area and the community.” He got up and shook hands with both men and squeezed the baby’s knee.

“Right.” Aaron said and Swirling bit back a laugh at the confused look on his face.

“Well…. Uhm… nice to meet you.” Robert said, looking as confused as Aaron. “I’m Robert, this is my husband Aaron, and our son Sebastian.”

Swirling’s ears perked up at the word husband. He was confused for a minute until he remembered arresting Faith Dingle in the pub last year at a party. Their wedding.

“Well we best be off again. Have a good day lads.” Swirling said and waited for Fletcher to stop making faces at the baby and come with him.

\---

It was one of the hottest days of the year, and, more importantly, his day off. Or well, it had been until he’d been called into work to help out with traffic control at the site of a major incident on the Hotten bypass.

“You’d think people would drive more carefully around here after that big pile up a few years ago.” Fletcher commented and Swirling raised his eyebrows at his younger colleague.

“How do you know about that?”

“I read up on my new work place, didn’t I?”

In the month or so since they’d started working together, Swirling had gotten to know Fletcher pretty well. Too well. The guy never stopped talking. Even when they’d arrested Ross Barton the week before for selling stolen cars, the officer had happily struck up conversation with their suspect on the way to the station.

“Right. Well, you see if you can help with the clear up, I’ll deal with traffic.” Swirling said and started walking towards the place where police tape closed off the road.

He found himself a spot on the side of the road, under the cover of a few trees and hoped they could clear the road quickly and he could go back home and get out of his uniform.

Thankfully there weren’t a lot of cars on the road, most people choosing to stay home and do as little as possible in this heat.

About fifteen minutes after he’d taken his place, a familiar silver Porsche drove towards him down the road. He signalled the driver to stop and walked up to the driver’s side window.

Robert Sugden. Of course. He appreciated that both him and Aaron had seemed to have calmed down a lot the past year or so but he still had vivid memories of chasing after Aaron or arresting Robert for god-knows-what.

“Is everything alright officer?” Robert asked, pushing his sunglasses up into his hair.

Swirling glanced into the car and, as expected, saw Aaron sitting in the passenger’s seat as well as the baby and two other little kids he recognised from the village in the backseat.

“We’re going to the pool!” the little girl in the backseat announced happily.

“I’m afraid not love.” Swirling told her before turning to Robert. “There’s been a big accident on the bypass. Suicide on the overpass. They’re clearing up now so the road is closed in both directions for at least another hour or two.”

“You’re joking.” Robert said and shared a look with Aaron who put his hand on his leg and seemed to give it a little squeeze. “How do we keep getting into these situations?”

“Hey at least it’s not us this time. We’re all ok.”

“I know. I’ve seen enough of that hospital to last a lifetime.”

Aaron nodded.

“Me too.” He said and turned to Swirling. “Can we go around?”

“If you go back the way you came and then past the fields by Connelton.”

“That’s miles out.” Robert complained. “We’d be lucky to get to the pool before it closes if we go that way.”  

“I’m sorry lads, but there’s no way you’re going this way any time soon.”

“So we’re not going to the pool today, Robert?” the girl asked.

“I’m sorry April. We have a little paddling pool at home for Seb though, the three of you can play in there if you want.”

“That’s way too small for the three of them.” Aaron cut in. “Let’s go to the beach instead.”

“The beach? How are we supposed to get there, Aaron? The road is closed.” Robert reminded him.

“I know a way around.” Aaron said and turned around to the kids in the backseat. “What do you say guys? Do you want to go to the beach?”

The girl cheered and turned to the boy sitting next to her.

“We’re going to the beach Leo! We can swim in the sea and make a sandcastle!”

“Isn’t Seb a bit young for the beach?” Robert asked, turning around to look at the baby in his car seat.

“He’s nine months old Robert, he’ll be fine. And it’s not like we’ll leave him on his own, is it?”

Robert mumbled something intelligible but Aaron must’ve understood because he laughed and leaned over and kissed him.

“Come on, switch with me, let me drive.”

The two men got out of the car and switched seats.

“See you around Swirling.” Aaron called out as he put the car in reverse and drove away.

\----

“Sir, please calm down.”

“Don’t tell me to calm down! I was supposed to be on a beach in Italy with my husband, on our honeymoon, but instead I’m here because my sister is in hospital and my son got kidnapped!”

Swirling looked up from his paperwork when he recognised the voice coming from the front desk.

“And I promise you we’re doing our very best to get him home safe. It’s our job and our number one priority.”

“If you lot had done your job in the first place none of us would even be here.”

When a second familiar voice joined the first, he decided to go take a look.

“I assure you, nobody is more shocked about that than we are and we will investigate the matter thoroughly to find out how this could have happened.”

Robert scoffed just as Swirling walked up to the front desk.

“What’s going on?”

“Oh, Swirling, good, maybe you can tell me how the hell a convicted murderer can get out of prison and kidnap a little boy?!”

“Lachlan White.” Aaron clarified. “He got out and he took our son.”

“Because five murders isn’t enough, right?!” Robert sneered and turned back to the officer behind the desk. “You know he’s not even two years old and you lot let him get kidnapped because you can’t keep a murderer behind bars for longer than a few months!”

“I understand that you’re upset sir, but please calm down.”

“I will not calm down until my son is back where he belongs!”

“Rob.” Aaron put his hand on Robert’s arm and Swirling watched him soften. “Rob will you get me a coffee? From the place across the street? And maybe a muffin. I haven’t eaten since breakfast.”

“But…”

“I promise the second there’s any news, I’ll come find you. I’ll get DS Benton to call you himself.”

Robert looked back and forth between Aaron and the desk officer. Aaron tilted his head slightly and gave him a little nod, to which Robert replied with something between a pout and a frown before rolling his eyes at Aaron’s smile and leaning in to kiss him.

“10 minutes.”

Aaron waited until Robert had walked out the door before turning to Swirling and the desk officer.

“I don’t care how, I don’t care how many rules and regulations you have to break, but you are going to get our son back, _right now_ , or I’ll get my family on the case and we all know they have their own way of dealing with things.”

“Are you threatening me?” the desk officer asked.

“Of course not. Wouldn’t dream of it.” Aaron said calmly but even Swirling could see he was anything but.

“I’ll go make a call. See if there’s any news.” He told Aaron and rushed back to his desk. He understood the two of them being scared and worried for their son, but the last thing he or any of the other officers involved in the investigation needed was the full Dingle family interfering.

Hours passed without any news. Thankfully Aaron had managed to calm Robert down enough to take a seat and have a few bites of the muffin he’d bought earlier. Swirling watched the two of them comfort each other, heard Aaron reassure Robert that their boy would be alright, while at the same time letting Robert hold him and rub circles on his back.

A brief visit from Aaron’s mother Chas told them, and Swirling, Robert’s sister was out of surgery and doing alright considering.

“We’ll get through this. He’ll be alright and we’ll all be home soon.” Aaron told Robert who didn’t seem too convinced. “He’ll be alright.”

A few more hours passed and even though Swirling’s shift had ended, he couldn’t bring himself to go home. It was ridiculous but he felt like he knew this little boy and his dads as more than just people who lived in a village in his district.

“Your lad, he’s been through a lot already hasn’t he. He’s a tough one.” Swirling started in an attempt to lift Robert and Aaron’s spirits. “They’ll find him.”

The men just nodded, both of them too exhausted to really speak.

Suddenly the station’s doors opened and a paramedic walked in, with Seb in her arms.

“Seb!” Both Robert and Aaron shot up from their seats and ran over to the woman, Robert taking the boy from her arms and holding him close while Aaron wrapped his arms around both of them. “It’s ok. Daddy’s here. We’re both here. You’re ok.”

Swirling was vaguely aware of the paramedic explaining the boy had been abandoned at the hospital with a note in his pocket saying “I’m sorry” and felt relief wash over him as he watched the little family reunite in the middle of the police station.

\---

“But he’s my cousin! Look! My name is White too.” Seb tried again and showed the guard his ID card.

“Yeah and it also says you were born in 2017. That makes you 13 now. You’re a minor.”

“So?”

“So I can’t let you go in without a parent or legal guardian.”

“But my parents are fine with me going to see him.”

“Well then they won’t mind coming with you next time, eh?”

“He’s my family! He kidnapped me when I was a baby, I deserve to see him!”

“I doesn’t work like that.” The guard sighed. She’d been having the same conversation with the boy for at least half an hour. “Just go home and tell your parents to make an appointment and come with you and we’ll let you see him.”

Seb huffed and stomped out of the prison, slamming right into PC Swirling in the parking lot.

“Wow, hey watch out.” Swirling said, steadying himself. “You alright kid?” he added when he recognised the boy.

Seb shrugged.

“Are you here to see someone?” Swirling asked and ran through the Dingle and Sugden families in his mind to figure out why Seb would be there.

“My cousin Lachlan. But they won’t let me see him.”

“Oh? Why is that?” Swirling asked even though he knew the answer.

“Because I’m underage.” Seb sighed. “My parents have to come with me.”

“And I take it they don’t know you’re here?”

Seb shook his head.

“Can’t you take me? Tell them you’re my uncle or something?”

“They know me here. I work here.” Swirling said instead of downright refusing.

“Right. Yeah. There’s that.”

“Come on, I’ll give you a lift home.”

“Are you going to call my parents?” Seb asked as he followed Swirling to a nearby police car.

“I think it’s best if you told them where you went yourself.”

“I can’t.”

“I’ve known your parents for a long time,” Swirling said and started the engine, “I’ve even had to arrest them a few times.” He told the boy and grinned at him like he was sharing some big secret. “I reckon they’ll understand more than you think if you just talk to them.”

“No they won’t.” Seb said sadly. “They don’t want me to see him. They don’t even want to talk about him... and my mum barely remembers her own name most days.”

“Why do you want to see him? You know what he did, don’t you?”

“Yeah… from google. But he’s my only family from my mum’s side!” Seb explained. “I just… what if I’m like him?”

Swirling glanced at the boy who was playing with the drawstrings of his hoodie.

“Why would you be like him?”

Seb shrugged.

“He’s my cousin…”

“I’m nothing like my cousins. I’m nothing like my brothers and sister either.”

“I’m not like my sister either… I think…”

“Well there you go then.”

Seb shrugged again and started fiddling with the radio and didn’t say anything the rest of the way back to Emmerdale.

“Here we go. Looks like at least one of your parents is home.” Swirling said as he parked the car in front of the Mill’s driveway.

“They’re both home. Dad’s car is at the garage.” Seb said but made no move to get out of the car.

“You can’t sit there forever, kid. Do you want me to walk you to the door?”

Seb nodded.

“Alright, come on then.” Swirling said and put a hand on the kid’s shoulder as they walked up to the house. He rang the doorbell before the boy could take out his house key.

Robert opened the door and looked surprised at the sight of his son standing next to a uniformed police officer.

“What’s going on here? Seb?”

“I gave him a lift home.” Swirling said when Seb only stared at his shoes.

“From where? You were supposed to be at school.”

“I… I went to see Lachlan.” Seb admitted.

“You what?!” Robert demanded.

“They wouldn’t let him through as an unaccompanied minor.” Swirling explained and patted Seb on the shoulder. “I reckon you and your husband have some things to discuss with him.”

“About Lachlan?” Robert asked Seb who just shrugged.

“Go easy on him, he’s a good kid.” Swirling said and with a final pat on Seb’s shoulder he turned around and walked back to his car and gave a sort of half wave when Robert thanked him for bringing Seb home.

He took a deep breath and looked around the village, which hadn’t changed much in the almost 25 years since he’d first been assigned a case there. He’d seen a lot of people come and go, couples break up and get back together, and cursed many of the residents on more than one occasion… but this crazy little village had snuck up on him and somehow secured a special place in his heart.


End file.
